View full sizeElinor Carter runs through the Avenue of the Oaks at Spring Hill College during the First Light Marathon on Jan. 2, 2004, in Mobile, Ala. The college was just past the 18-mile mark in the marathon. (Press-Register file)

MOBILE, Alabama - Like thousands of other runners, Elinor Carter of Mobile already was in the Big Apple when the New York City Marathon was called off on Nov. 2 in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Even though this would have been her first outing in the world's largest marathon, she felt worse for other runners than she did for herself.

That's because she went to New York with two friends, and they had other things on their itinerary besides Carter's marathon run.

"For people who were just there to run the race, I feel very bad for them," Carter said. "You do all the training. And it was a perfect day to run a marathon. But I certainly understand having gone through hurricanes here. They should have known not to have 45,000 runners come in to run the race."

The displaced runners weren't without sympathetic friends. Several marathons and running groups found additional spots in their races or provided entry-fee discounts for members of the 2012 New York City Marathon field.

The BankTrust First Light Marathon is one of those races. The marathon, which is set for Sunday in Mobile, is offering a 50 percent discount on its entry fee.

Carter plans to run in the Mobile race. She finished 29th overall last year, when she was the third female finisher and the third finisher older than 50.

That mirrors her results from the 2010 race, when she finished 29th overall, was the third female finisher and the third finisher 49 or older. Carter missed the 2011 marathon because of an injury.

Hurricane Sandy hit New York City on Monday, Oct. 29. The 2012 New York City Marathon was scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 4.

Carter already has run in the Chicago and Boston marathons. Racing in New York would have meant she'd run in the nation's three largest marathons.

"I went up (to New York) that Friday and had gone to the expo at 3 that afternoon," Carter said. "I was about to go out to dinner when they announced it had been canceled.

"I'm not surprised that they canceled the race, but I thought their timing was bad."

Like the rest of the New York City runners, Carter is awaiting a Thursday email that's supposed to give the full details of the New York Road Runners' plan to deal with the cancellation.

The announcements to this point have indicated runners will be offered a refund (minus their $11 processing), or they can opt either for guaranteed entry in the 2013, 2014 or 2015 New York City Marathons or guaranteed entry in the New York City Half Marathon on March 17. Those who choose to run again must pay the entry fee again, although their rate will be held to the 2012 prices.

Carter said she's in better shape about making her decision than most.

"I qualified to get into New York with a time," she said. "I did not get in through the lottery."

But since that qualifying time came from a marathon in Huntsville in December 2011 and is now more than a year old, she thinks she'll need to run another qualifying time for the 2013 New York City Marathon.

With a qualifying time, she could take the refund and re-enter on her time without the need to accept the guaranteed entry being offered. And she'd really like to run in this year's race "because I think they'll go above and beyond to make this one fabulous, and I hope to be there."

Unable to run in New York, Carter came home to the Gulf Coast and ran in the Pensacola Marathon on Nov. 11 "so my training wasn't wasted."

The Pensacola Marathon was one of the events that reached out to the jilted New York runners, adding spots for them in the week between the two races' scheduled dates.

"The way the other cities and marathon groups have opened up has been very generous," Carter said.

At the Pensacola Marathon, Carter won the female grandmasters division. Grandmasters are runners who are at least 50 years old. Carter is 52.

She ran her first marathon when she was 43. First Light will be her 19th marathon.

Carter worked herself into marathon shape with the help of the Carpe Diem Running Group.

"I used to see the group when I was running in the morning," she said. "Then I started running with the group, and pretty soon I was training for a marathon."

She runs with the group on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with a longer run - 10 to 20 miles - on Fridays or Saturdays.

Carter is the mother of an 11th-grader, John, and a 10th-grader, Ellie.

"I guess the satisfaction of being 52 and still running marathons," Carter answered when asked why she tackled the 26.2-mile races. "For me, it's fun. It might not be fun at Mile 20, but the hype before the race and the after-the-race hype are fun."

The BankTrust First Light Marathon and Half-Marathon are set for Sunday on courses that start and end in downtown Mobile. Both races will start at 7:30 a.m.

The event benefits the L'Arche Mobile community.

Runners can register at L'Arche Mobile at 151 S. Ann St., McCoy Outdoor and Run-N-Tri in Mobile and Running Wild in Fairhope until Friday. Runners can register online until midnight Friday. Race registration will continue from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Mobile Government Plaza atrium. There will be no race-day registration.

A meal and entertainment follow the races in Bienville Square, with the awards ceremony set for 2:30 p.m. Sunday.